Skipton’s club for all road cyclists, whether just getting into cycling as a sport, experienced racer or anything in between! Here you will find news updates on club events and activities as well as an introduction to riding with the club.

Ride report 2nd March 2019

Gary Crompton writes:

A drizzly start to today’s ride didn’t put many off the border crossing to the Red Side: no passports required. A small advanced party of 5 set off into the distance, followed by 3 groups totalling another 18 riders. Not content with that, we collected another 2 on route to Gargrave. A usual out-route took us through West Marton towards Baa’lick. The 30 milers left us as we headed for Blacko. I’m hoping they found the route from Foulridge, although they’d already rebelled and decided they weren’t going to do the little climb out of Earby I’d set on the route . The rest of us descended into Witch Country. Passing my old primary school in Roughlee, I recalled tales of years gone by and the massive injustice of being told off by my old headteacher. The climb now ramped up to Newchurch with more than one of our group hufflepuffing and cursing the short but steep climb. At the top, Andy began reflecting on the Strava title for his ride whilst looking over to Pendle Hill. Onward and down to lunch at ‘The Cabin’ in Barley.

Cabin “fever”

Thanks to Paula at the Cabin for sorting lunch, the usual beans on toast for most of us, although, Jayne’s beef stew and dumplings was being enviously looked upon by more than one of the group. It was pointed out to me that Edward might have got a bit grumpy as the tea didn’t come in a pot! I’ll let them know the next time we call in. I did have to put ‘our Paula’s’ mind at ease on more than one occasion that we didn’t have to go up the hill we’d come down after we’d finished lunch; we just had another one instead. Climbing post lunch out of Barley to the foot of Pendle, we had a short photo stop before descending to Downham and a downpour, no doubt bestowed upon us for heading back to White Rose Country – hopefully not cursed by the witches. The long steady climb back towards Hellifield left one member of the group feeling deflated, well, his back tyre in any case. Matt even blew a valve trying to pump it up. Limping on to Otterburn, where Tara jumped to the rescue with a track pump having already been home for some time. Steady away …. we all returned to Skipton, where a small group had a coffee before returning home. Big thanks to everyone for an enjoyable – if a bit of a hilly – ride today. Gary